Sports FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Premier League clubs’ revenue hits new high

LONDON: The revenue generated by football clubs in the Premier League struck a record 2.53 billion pounds ($4.23 billion) in the 2012/13 season as the English topflight remained the world leader. An annual review conducted by consultants Deloitte shows that revenues among the 20 Premier League sides swelled by 165 million pounds, with over 60 percent of the growth driven by Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool. “Once again the global appeal of the Premier League has continued to drive commercial rev- enue growth, particularly at the highest ranked Premier League clubs,” said Deloitte sports business group partner Dan Jones. “Matchday revenue also increased by 6 percent with fewer unsold seats at Premier League games than ever before.” Jones added that the increasing trend is expected to continue, with the Premier League clubs’ revenue likely to increase by 30 percent to 3.2 billion pounds ($5.4 billion) in 2013-14. “This growth will be driven by the revenue FRISCO: Darwin Ceren No. 7 of El Salvador fights for a ball against Cheick Tiote No. 9 and Kolo Toure No. 4 of Ivory Coast during from the first season of the Premier League’s the International friendly match. — AFP new broadcast deals and further commercial revenue growth at the biggest clubs,” he said. According to Deloitte, the 7 percent increase in Premier League revenues is the largest WCup-bound I Coast absolute growth of any of the “big five” leagues. Among those, German clubs generated rev- enues of 1.7 billion pounds ($2.85 billion) while defeat El Salvador those in Spain reaped 1.6 billion pounds ($2.68 billion). Italy’s clubs garnered 1.4 billion pounds ($2.35 billion) while French clubs saw revenues FRISCO: and each in the penalty area to set up the kick. Ivory seven corner kicks to El Salvador’s two. The of 1.1 billion pounds ($1.84 billion). Overall, the had a goal and an assist in World Cup-bound Coast’s Boubacar Barry made the game’s only 36-year-old Drogba, still recovering from a “big five” saw revenues increase 5 percent. Ivory Coast’s 2-1 victory over El Salvador on save, in the second half. Ivory Coast rebound- groin injury, left the game in the 63rd minute. The majority of the Premier League rev- Wednesday night in an exhibition game. ed from a 2-1 loss to Bosnia-Herzogovina in El Salvador then opened up its attack. enue’s growth arose from commercial sources, Gervinho took a pass from Drogba for a St. Louis on Friday night. Drogba also scored Herbert Sosa had a scoring chance from in with the two Manchester clubs accounting for goal in the ninth minute. In the 42nd minute, for Les Elephants in St. Louis. El Salvador front of the net in the 70th minute, but shot over half of the league’s 129 million pounds Gervinho pulled the El Salvador goalkeeper played a conservative defensive style for most over the goal. Soon after, Barry made his save ($216 million) commercial revenue increase. away from the net and passed across to of the game. The Central American team when he punched away Ceren’s shot headed Deloitte noted that the Bundesliga is still Drogba for his goal. El Salvador, which did not unsuccessfully relied on long passes that for the left corner of the net. El Salvador also ahead of the Premier League by 55 million qualify for the World Cup, scored on Arturo would have resulted in breakaways for striker will play in the final Road to Brazil friendly, euros ($75 million) in commercial terms but Alvarez’s penalty kick in the 75th minute. Kolo Lester Blanco. Ivory Coast had possession of against World Cup-bound Spain on Saturday expects the English league to “comfortably lead Abib Toure fouled El Salvador’s Darwin Ceren the ball for 56 percent of the game, and had in Landover, Maryland.— AP Europe” in all three main revenues categories - matchday, broadcast and commercial in the 2013-14 results. Chile win warm-up In the year before UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules took effect, over 75 percent of the Premier League clubs’ revenue increase was spent on VALPARAISO: Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez once again proved his worth as wages, which rose by 125 million pounds to 1.8 a playmaker, setting up both goals in billion pounds ($3 billion), as clubs spent in Chile’s 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland anticipation of the extra revenue from the new in their final World Cup warmup on broadcast deal in 2013-14. Wednesday. The biggest increase was at Manchester City, Sanchez, who created all three goals with the club spending an extra 31 million in a 3-2 victory over Egypt on Friday, pounds ($52 million) compared to the previous provided the pass for Eduardo Vargas to year to reach 233 million pounds ($390 million). head home Chile’s opener after 79 min- Though Manchester City remained ahead of utes.Three minutes later Sanchez split its city rival Manchester United in the player the Northern Irish defence for substitute cost stakes, United won the 2012/13 Premier striker Mauricio Pinilla to fire home League title. City reclaimed the title in the sea- Chile’s second. son that’s just ended while United sank to sev- Arturo Vidal made a successful enth. “The pattern in spending on wages fol- return to international football, coming lowing previous increases in broadcast deals, on as a late substitute for the Chileans suggests it’s likely around 60 percent or more of just weeks after undergoing knee sur- the revenue increase in 2013-14 will flow gery. The Juventus midfielder is regard- through to wages,” said Adam Bull, senior con- ed a key component of Jorge sultant in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte. Sampaoli’s side. “On that basis, we would expect Premier Chile face Australia in their World Cup opener on June 13 before taking League total wage costs to reach a new record on Spain and Netherlands in what is level of around 2.2 billion pounds ($3.7 bil- widely regarded as the toughest group lion).”— AP CHILE: Northern Ireland’s Joshua Magennis (right) vies for the ball with Chile’s in the Brazil finals. — Reuters Francisco Silva during a friendly football match. —AFP